2PM Saturday: Snow approaches Capital District, with heavy snow to the south and east

As of early afternoon Saturday, our historically-early snowstorm is unfolding as expected. The radar image seen below shows precipitation nearing the southern border of Albany County. Dry air in the lower levels of the atmosphere has slowly been saturating, and precipitation looks to begin in the immediate Capital District over the next couple of hours. Meanwhile, heavy snow is not far to the south and east; Poughkeepsie has been reporting heavy snow with quarter-mile visibility. Snowfall rates in excess of 1-2″ per hour look to be occurring over western parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The heaviest amounts still look to be just south and east of the Capital Region. The National Weather Service is forecasting a total accumulation of 3-6″ locally. The amount of snow will be critical in determining the extent of tree damage and resulting power outages due to this remarkable early-season snow event.